Chapter 1

ESSAY

1. Discuss the training that hardware personnel need.

ANS:
Computer hardware vendors employ a variety of people for design, installation, and maintenance. Lower-
level personnel usually have technical degrees and/or vendor-specific training, and higher-level personnel
usually have degrees in computer science or computer engineering. Employees must have extensive
knowledge of computer hardware, including processing, data storage, I/O, and networking devices.
Hardware designers need the most in-depth knowledge, far exceeding the scope of this book.

2. Describe the two roles that can be assigned the title of network administrator.

ANS:
Typically, the title of network administrator is applied to one of two roles. The first is responsibility for an
organizations network infrastructure, such as for an Internet service provider or a large multinational
corporation. Designing, operating, and maintaining a large network require substantial technical expertise
in computer hardware, telecommunications, and system software. The role of network administrator in
this environment is an important high-level position. Technical knowledge requirements are similar to
those for a computer operations manager, although the emphasis is on network and data communication
technologies.

In a smaller organization, the title of network administrator is used for the manager of a local area
network. These networks connect anywhere from a half dozen to a few hundred computers (mostly
desktop and portable computers) and provide access to shared databases. The network administrator can
be responsible for many tasks other than operating and maintaining the network, including installing and
maintaining end-user software, installing and configuring hardware, training users, and assisting
management in selecting and acquiring software and hardware. This position is one of the most
demanding in breadth and depth of required skills and technical knowledge.

3. List two ways that companies earn revenue for Web-based information and services.

ANS:
Advertising

Direct sales of goods and services

Commissions on goods and services sold by advertisers and partners

4. List two possible biases from sites that generate revenue from advertising, referrals, commissions, or
preferred partner arrangements.

ANS:
Ordering content, links, or search results to favor organizations that have paid a fee to the Web site owner

RSS and Twitter newsfeeds emphasizing organizations that have paid a fee to the Web site owner

Omitting information from organizations that havent paid a fee to the search provider
 Omitting information thats against the interests of organizations that have paid a fee to the search
provider.

CHAPTER 2

1.List two limitations in mechanical computation.

ANS:
Complex design and construction

Wear, breakdown, and maintenance of mechanical parts

Limits on operating speed

2. List two functions that are included in most operating systems.

ANS:
Program storage, loading, and execution

File manipulation and access

Secondary storage management

Network and interactive user interfaces

3. Discuss the influence of Pentium processors on technology development.

ANS:
Pentium processors improved memory access and raw CPU speeds and added features such as support for
higher-speed system buses, pipelined instruction execution, and multimedia processing instructions.
Microsoft OS development split into two distinct paths. The first path started with Windows 95, which
evolved into Windows 98 and finally Windows Me. Multimedia instructions served as a foundation for
improved high-resolution graphics and audio and video. The second path was a new family of OSs that
began with Windows NT and continued through Windows 2000 and XP. Increased CPU speed and
improved memory management enabled Microsoft to embed more sophisticated memory and hardware
management capabilities in Windows NT than in other Windows OSs. These improvements also allowed
Microsoft to develop server OSs, including Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003.

4. List two functions that the system software must perform if a computer system makes its local resources
available to other computers.

ANS:
Listen for resource requests.

Validate resource requests.

Deliver resources via the network.

5. Discuss two important ways that network communication devices differ from I/O devices.
 ANS:
First, theyre usually simpler because they dont need to convert electronic data into another form.
Second, they must support communication at high speeds so that external resource access isnt far slower
than access to local resources.

CHAPTER 3

1.List two capabilities that any data and information processor, whether organic, mechanical, electrical, or
optical, must have.

ANS:
Recognizing external data and converting it to an internal format

Storing and retrieving data internally

Transporting data between internal storage and processing components

Manipulating data to produce results or decisions

2. Why do computers represent data with binary numbers?

ANS:
Computers represent data with binary numbers for two reasons:

Binary numbers represented as binary electrical signals can be transported reliably between computer
systems and their components.

Binary numbers represented as electrical signals can be processed by two-state electrical devices that are
easy to design and fabricate.

3. Explain the procedure to convert a binary value to its decimal equivalent.

ANS:
1. Determine each position weight by raising 2 to the number of positions left (+) or right (-) of the radix
point.
2. Multiply each digit by its position weight.
3. Sum all the values calculated in Step 2.

4. Discuss the limitations of ASCII.

ANS:
 ASCIIs designers couldnt foresee the codes long lifetime (almost 50 years) or the revolutions in I/O
device technologies that would take place. They never envisioned modern I/O device characteristics, such
as color, bitmapped graphics, and selectable fonts. Unfortunately, ASCII doesnt have the range to define
enough control codes to account for all the formatting and display capabilities in modern I/O devices.

ASCII is also an English-based coding method. This isnt surprising, given that when it was defined, the
United States accounted for most computer use and almost all computer production. ASCII has a heavy
bias toward Western languages in general and American English in particular, which became a major
limitation as computer use and production proliferated worldwide.

Further complicating matters is that some printed languages arent based on characters in the Western
sense. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean written text consists of ideographs, which are pictorial
representations of words or concepts. Ideographs are composed of graphical elements, sometimes called
strokes, that number in the thousands. Other written languages, such as Arabic, present similar, although
less severe, coding problems.

5. Explain the process of inserting an element in a list stored in contiguous memory.

ANS:
1. Allocate a new storage location at the end of the list.
2. For each element past the insertion point, copy its value to the next storage location, starting with the
last element and working backward to the insertion point.
3. Write the new elements value in the storage location at the insertion point.

CHAPTER 4

1. Discuss the chain of events that occurs when the CPU executes a program.

ANS:
A complex chain of events occurs when the CPU executes a program. To start, the control unit reads the
first instruction from primary storage. It then stores the instruction in a register and, if necessary, reads
data inputs from primary storage and stores them in registers. If the instruction is a computation or
comparison instruction, the control unit signals the ALU what function to perform, where the input data is
located, and where to store the output data. The control unit handles executing instructions to move data
to memory, I/O devices, or secondary storage. When the first instruction has been executed, the next
instruction is read and executed. This process continues until the programs final instruction has been
executed.

2. Identify two activities the control unit performs during the CPU fetch cycle.

ANS:
Fetches an instruction from primary storage

Increments a pointer to the location of the next instruction

Separates the instruction into componentsthe instruction code (or number) and the data inputs to the
instruction
 Stores each component in a separate register

3. List two examples of sequence control operations that alter the flow of instruction execution.

ANS:
Unconditional BRANCH

Conditional BRANCH

HALT

4. What are the 1-bit and 2-bit processing functions performed by gates?

ANS:
The 1-bit and 2-bit processing functions performed by gates include the logical functions AND, OR,
XOR, and NOT.

5. Discuss the issues with heat with respect to chips.

ANS:
Resistance can also cause problems due to heat. Because a chip is a sealed package, theres no way to
circulate air or any other substance around its circuits. Heat must migrate through the chip carrier to be
dissipated by a fan or heat sink. Heat generation per circuit is minimized by the circuits small size, low
operating voltage, and low-resistance materials, but each device and trace does generate heat. Higher
clock rates generate more heat as more electrons are forced through the circuits. Inadequate or barely
adequate cooling can substantially shorten a microprocessors operating life.

CHAPTER 5

ESSAY

1. List three characteristics in which storage devices and technologies vary.

ANS:
Speed
Volatility
Access method
Portability
Cost and capacity

2. How is a storage devices data transfer rate computed?

ANS:
A storage devices data transfer rate is computed by dividing 1 by the access time (expressed in seconds)
and multiplying the result by the unit of data transfer (expressed in bytes).
 3. Explain the two ways that storage device portability is typically implemented.

ANS:
The entire storage devicestorage medium, read/write mechanism, and possibly controllercan be
transported between computer systems (for example, a USB flash drive).

The storage medium can be removed from the storage device and transported to a compatible storage
medium on another computer (for example, a DVD).

4. What is an advantage of optical storage over magnetic storage?

ANS:
Typical optical recording densities are at least 10 times higher than for magnetic storage devices.

5. Describe phase-change optical discs.

ANS:
Phase-change optical technology enables nondestructive writing to optical storage media. The technology
is based on the same GST material used in MRAM, which can change state easily from amorphous to
crystalline and then back again. The reflective characteristics of this material are quite different in the
amorphous and crystalline states. The difference is less than with manufactured or dye-based discs but
enough to be detected by newer optical scanning technologies.

GST changes from an amorphous state to a crystalline state when heated to a precise temperature. Heating
the material to its melting point changes it back to an amorphous state. The melting point is low, so high-
power lasers arent required. However, multiple passes are usually required to generate enough heat, so
write times are substantially longer than read times. The reflective layer loses its capability to change
state with repeated heating and cooling. Current rewritable media wear out after about 1000 write
operations.

CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) is a standard for phase-change optical discs that use the CDROM format.
Rewritable DVDs use one of four different standards: DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW DL, and DVD-
RW DL. BD-RE is the rewritable version of the Blu-ray standard.

CHAPTER 6

ESSAY

1. Discuss two ways to increase the maximum bus data transfer rate.

ANS:
 Increase the clock rate, or increase the data transfer unit size (the number of data lines). The evolution of
parallel system buses is marked by steady increases in data bus size and more gradual increases in clock
rate. However, these increases work against one another, with each increase in data bus size making clock
rate increases more difficult. Increasing clock rate in serial channels is much easier.

2. Explain why overall system performance is reduced in traditional computer architecture, using a bus
master.

ANS:
Because theres only one bus master, the bus protocol is simple and efficient. However, overall system
performance is reduced because transfers between devices, such as from disk to memory, must pass
through the CPU. All transfers consume at least two bus cycles: one to transfer data from the source
device to the CPU and another to transfer data from the CPU to the destination device. The CPU cant
execute computation and logic instructions while transferring data between other devices.

3. How can a cache controller be implemented?

ANS:
It can be implemented in the following ways:
A storage device controller or communication channel, as a special-purpose processor controlling RAM
installed in the controller or channel; more common with primary storage caches
The OS, as a program that uses part of primary storage to implement the cache; more common with
secondary storage caches

4. Explain lossless compression and provide an example.

ANS:
With lossless compression, any data input thats compressed and then decompressed is exactly the same
as the original input. Lossless compression is required in many applications, such as accounting records,
executable programs, and most stored documents. Zip files and archives are examples of lossless
compression.

5. Explain lossy compression and provide an example.

ANS:
With lossy compression, data inputs that are compressed and then decompressed are different from, but
still similar to, the original input. Lossy compression is usually applied only to audio and video data
because the human brain tolerates missing audio and video data and can usually fill in the blanks. Its
commonly used to send audio or video streams via low-capacity transmission lines or networks, such as
video conferencing. MP3 audio encoding and video encoding on DVDs are two examples of lossy
compression.
 CHAPTER 7

ESSAY

1. What are the factors on which the number of pixels in a display surface depends?
ANS:
Display surface size (height and width)

Pixel size

2. Explain the term point size as it relates to fonts.

ANS:
A fonts point size is the distance between the top of the highest character and the bottom of the lowest
character in the font.

3. Identify and explain one way that ink is forced into the nozzle of an inkjet printer.

ANS:
Mechanical movementThe back of the ink chamber is a piezoelectric membrane, meaning that when
electrical current is applied to this membrane, it bends inward, forcing a drop of ink out of the nozzle.
When the current is removed, the membrane returns to its original shape, creating a vacuum in the
chamber that draws in fresh ink.

HeatThe back of the ink chamber is a resistor that heats rapidly when electrical current is applied. The
ink forms a vapor bubble, forcing a drop of ink out of the nozzle. When the current is removed, the vapor
bubble collapses, creating a vacuum in the chamber that draws in fresh ink.

4. Name three purposes that sound generation is used for in a computer system.

ANS:
In a computer system, sound generation and recognition are used for many purposes, such as the
following:
General-purpose sound output, such as warnings, status indicators, and music
General-purpose sound input, such as digital recording of voice e-mail messages
Voice command input
Speech recognition
Speech generation

5. Describe the components of a sound card.

ANS:
General-purpose audio hardware can be integrated on a PC motherboard or packaged as an expansion
card that connects to the system bus (commonly called a sound card). At minimum, sound cards include
an ADC, a DAC, a low-power amplifier, and connectors (jacks) for a microphone and a speaker or
headphones. More elaborate cards might include the following:
Multichannel surround sound, such as Dolby 5.1
A general-purpose Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) synthesizer
MIDI input and output jacks
A more powerful amplifier to accommodate larger speakers and generate more volume
 CHAPTER 10

ESSAY

1. Why were fourth-generation languages developed?

ANS:
In the 1970s and 1980s, fourth-generation languages (4GLs) were developed to address 3GL limitations.

2. What does a programming language define?

ANS:
Language syntax and grammar

Machine behavior for each instruction or statement

Test programs with expected warnings, errors, and execution behavior

3. List two capabilities of a symbolic debugger.

ANS:
Trace calls to specific source code statements or subroutines.

Trace changes to variable contents.

Execute source code instructions one at a time.

Detect runtime errors and report them in terms of specific source code instructions and variables.

4. What are three factors have caused Javas popularity to far exceed most initial expectations?

ANS:
Suns strategy of providing Java compilers and JVMs at little or no cost

Incorporation of JVMs into Web browsers and servers

The predominance of application software that uses a Web browser as the primary I/O device

The capability of Java programs to run on almost any combination of hardware and OS

5. List three components that an integrated development environment generally includes.

ANS:
Intelligent program editor
Compiler, interpreter, or both
Link editor and a large library of classes or subroutines
Interactive tool for prototyping and designing user interfaces
Symbolic debugger
Integrated GUI
 CHAPTER 11

ESSAY

1. Describe the role of the operating system.

ANS:
As a manager, it oversees all hardware resources and allocates them to users and applications as needed. It
also shifts resources to meet rapidly changing demands while enforcing resource security and sharing
policies. With resources, the OS is similar to Big Brotheran omniscient government with
unquestioned authority.

2. List the three states of an active thread.

ANS:
The three states of an active thread are:
Ready
Running
Blocked

3. What is the difference between big endian and little endian?

ANS:
Big endian describes architectures that store the most significant byte at the lowest memory address.
Little endian describes architectures that store the least significant byte at the lowest memory address.

4. What are two goals of multitasking memory allocation?

ANS:
Allow as many active processes as possible.
Respond quickly to changing memory demands of processes.
Prevent unauthorized changes to a processs memory regions.
Perform memory allocation and addressing as efficiently as possible.

5. Name three pieces of information segment descriptions contain.

ANS:
The physical memory address of the segments first byte (its base address)
The segment size
The segment type
Access restrictions
Privilege level